The Bulletin

Page 1

AN AMERICAN PRINT MEDIA PUBLICATION

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019

Memorial Spotlights the Man Behind Nipsey Hussle Rap Persona By Jonathan Landrum, Jr.

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Thousands flocked to remember the life of Nipsey Hussle at a packed memorial service Thursday that provided mourners with a deeper appreciation of Ermias Asghedom, the man behind the up-and-coming hip-hop persona.

S

ome of people who knew Hussle best, from his actress-fiancee Lauren London, dear friend Snoop Dogg and his mother shared their most personal stories about the rapper during the three-hour service held in Los Angeles’ Staples Center. The 21,000 seat venue hosted its first celebrity funeral since Michael Jackson’s in 2009, ending with a montage of videos of the rapper set to his song, “Dedication.” Hussle’s casket, draped in the flag of his father’s native country, Eritrea in East Africa, then embarked on a 25-mile tour of the city, drawing thousands to the streets to catch a glimpse of the recently-anointed hometown hero. Police kept an eye on the crowd, which appeared largely peaceful. At one point, people sat atop a police car spray-painted with the words: “Nips in Paradise.” London shared a text message sent she sent the rapper in January calling him “my turn up and my church.” She spoke about learning so much from being in his presence as her provider and protector but turned sad at the thought of their son being unable to remember his dad. “My pain is for my two-year-old,” she said. After the service, she revealed a fresh tattoo of Hussle on her forearm, writing in an Instagram post that “Real Love Never Dies” and that from now on “When you see me, you will always see him.” Hussle’s mother, Angelique Smith, spoke calmly about her being in “perfect peace” and “happy and complete” despite her son’s death. She declared: “Ermias was a legacy.” She called him a “superhero” who wasn’t afraid to lead, recounting a story about Ermias at 9-years-old running down the middle of the street to flag down a firetruck to extinguish her car’s engine that went under flames. Miraculously, the car still ran. “We’re burning but not destroyed,” Smith said. Snoop Dogg talked candidly about Hussle being a visionary and meeting him for the first time. “Most rappers when they push up on Snoop Dogg with a mixtape, this is their line:

Aretha Franklin

Makes History with Posthumous Pulitzer Win By Staff Reports

Photo by Tyrone Cole for The Bulletin

Nipsey Hussle’s mother, Angelique Smith attending her son’s funeral.

NEW YORK (AP)—Aretha Franklin is still getting R-E-S-P-E-C-T after death: The Queen of Soul received the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation honor Monday, becoming the first individual woman to earn a special citation prize since the honor was first awarded in 1930.

Compton Voters went to the Polls Tuesday to elect Councilpersons for the 1st & 4th Districts. The Bulletin went to print before the polls closed. Visit thebulletinweekly.com for results.

Health Fair Offers Smart Eating, Living Tips

In his 2016 song “Ocean Views,” he rapped about having a Stevie Wonder song played at his funeral. The legendary singer took the stage to perform “Rocket Man,” one of Hussle’s favorites. ‘Ahh, dawg, listen to my music. I can make you a million dollars,”’ Dogg said. “Nipsey’s line was, ‘Hey homie, listen to my music. Just give it a listen.’ That’s it? No record deal? You don’t want to get put on? So to me, he had vision to know and understand that I don’t want to be handed out nothing. I’m going to come and get mine.” Hussle was shot to death March 31 while standing outside The Marathon, his South Los Angeles clothing store, not far from where the rapper grew up. Eric R. Holder Jr., who has been charged with killing Hussle, has pleaded not guilty. Police have said Holder and Hussle had several interactions the day of the shooting and have described it as being the result of a personal dispute. n Hussle, see page 9

T

he Pulitzer board said the award was given to Franklin for “her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades.” Franklin died on Aug. 16 at her home in Detroit from pancreatic cancer at age 76. The superstar musician was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when she entered the prestigious organization in 1987. The Pulitzer board most recently awarded a special citation prize in 2010 to Hank Williams, the country music legend who died in 1953. From the arts world, other recipients include Duke Ellington, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, George Gershwin, Ray Bradbury, William Schuman, Milton Babbitt, Scott Joplin, Roger Sessions, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Before Monday, only 41 special citation prizes had been awarded since 1930, and winners have ranged from individual people to organizations and groups, including the New York Times, writers E.B. White, Alex Haley and Kenneth Roberts, and Columbia University and its Graduate School of Journalism. Franklin and the Capital Gazette newspaper received special citation honors this year. “Aretha is blessed and highly favored even in death. She’s continued to receive multiple awards—she’s received almost every award imaginable and now to get the Pulitzer Prize, it’s just amazing,” Sabrina Owens, Franklin’s niece and the executor of her estate, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday. “Aretha continues to bless us with her music and just paving the way for women going forward. It’s thrilling. She would be so happy right now.” When Owens heard the news that Franklin won a Pulitzer, she and the family were “surprised but in another way we were not because that’s just the kind of person Aretha was.” “She was just very gifted and talented, and the world is still recognizing that,” she said. Franklin’s inclusion into the exclusive club re-confirms the impact her music—and

“Aretha is blessed and highly favored even in death. She’s continued to receive multiple awards… now to get the Pulitzer Prize, it’s just amazing.” Sabrina Owens, Miss Franklin’s niece

Photo by Dennis J. Freeman for The Bulletin

Easy Choice Health Plan held a Community Health Fair on Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Roy Campanella Park in Compton. The daylong event provided residents in the local neighborhood and community with healthy eating choices, a wellness awareness program, free mammogram and blood pressure checks, as well as live entertainment. The event was planned in partnership with the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation.

voice—had and continues to have on the world. She became a cultural icon and genius of American song, considered by many to be the greatest popular vocalist of her time. Her voice transcended age, category and her own life. Franklin was professional singer and accomplished pianist by her late teens and a sun Aretha, see page 5


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.